chastity

It is my belief that our world has lost the conviction (definition) of chastity. No longer do we consider it an important value in our lives; no longer do we consider it a part of who we are. If we are to be true followers of our God, we must get back to it, we must embrace the very idea of it--bottom line: we must BE chaste. To do otherwise is not God's will for our lives.

This is not an easy proposition for those of us baby boomers who came of age in the '60s and '70s when flower power, free love and the idea of "if it feels good, do it" came upon us like a tidal wave. To be sure, the Pill brought forth a torrent of sex, just for the fun of it. And, we taught our children the same...or at least neglected to teach them the truth.

I know so many who have sex before they even think about any kind of permanent commitment to one another. "Sexual freedom" isn't all that uncommon any more. Even people who say they are Catholic are committing adulterous acts and calling them good. They live openly together; they talk about it openly. There doesn't seem to be any shame or guilt about it. Sex outside of marriage is commonplace.

If we truly are to fulfill our purpose here on earth, we must not allow ourselves to be dissuaded away from living by God's plan for us, for this plan is one of only good for us, a path which leads to everlasting life. He gave us the wondrous gift of sexual expression which can only really come to fruition the way He envisioned it--within a marriage context, in a sacred covenant with Him. The ability for sexual intercourse was given to us so that spouses could express their love for one another (and for God) by literally becoming one flesh. Out of that would come new life, both figuratively and practically.

We have seen the physical, spiritual and psychological repercussions of our abuse of sex and sex outside of marriage: many, many sexually transmitted diseases/infections, broken hearts, broken lives, single parenting, abortion, child and sexual partner abuse...It seems obvious to me that it's not working very well. Sin never does. On the other hand, chastity takes discipline. Can we do it? I'd like to challenge people with this question. Do we have what it takes to follow Jesus? In my heart of hearts, I believe we all do.

I don't think people believe they can live without sex. They seem to think it is their right to have it. What we've lost along the way is the truth: sex is a gift from God, not a right. We CAN live without sex. Mary, our Mother, is a perfect example. The Church teaches she was a virgin all of her life. She lived without sex. And, too, I have often thought about what this meant for Joseph. He must have loved her deeply. That love was much, much bigger, more important than sex between them. They were raising the Son of God!

I've been thinking about chastity on a more personal level lately. The obvious reason is because, if I am really being called to the religious life, I will be taking a vow of chastity. I have been pondering what this means in my life. At this point in my life, it won't require any change in my behavior. I already have made the conscious choice to live chastely the rest of my life. It's a way of life...a way that can lead to God. I hunger for that ultimate communion!

Here is the teaching of the Church, found in the Catechism:

2337 Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.

The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift.

2348 All the baptized are called to chastity. The Christian has "put on Christ," the model for all chastity. All Christ's faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular states of life. At the moment of his Baptism, the Christian is pledged to lead his affective life in chastity.

2349 "People should cultivate [chastity] in the way that is suited to their state of life. Some profess virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others live in the way prescribed for all by the moral law, whether they are married or single." Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence...

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The teaching on the gift of our sexuality is very beautiful! For more information, here is a link to this part of the catechism: http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm

We must ask God to help us be the best we can be while we are here on earth. Jesus must think we can do it. After all, He said to the woman who had been about to be stoned to death for committing adultery, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." (John 8:11) If Jesus told her not to sin any more, He must have believed she could do it. And, I think He believes we can sin no more, too. Now, we just have to believe it! May God bless us with the discipline to follow the Truth.